View from the Klusenberg into the Lenne valley [1930]
Museen Burg Altena
Altena
Museen Burg Altena
One of the most beautiful hilltop castles in Germany towers high above the old wire-drawing town. It was built from the 12th century onward to protect the region's iron production. Under the motto "knights, smiths, wanderers" it shows the history of the industrially outstanding Märkisches Sauerland next to the first youth hostel in the world. Today you can reach the castle with a spectacular adventure elevator ...
Considering the number of smelting sites – more than 2,000 since the 10th century – the Märkisch Sauerland turns out to have once been a major power in the iron industry. Its backbone are the so-called Reidemeisters, who process pig iron from the Siegerland into forgeable Osemunde iron in their hammer mills and into wire in wire drawing workshops. This keeps entire families busy, and it is not uncommon for widows to continue their husband's business or trade. Since their home and workplace are identical, the women know the business partners and clients visiting the workshop. For example, the Altena residents' list for the years 1740/41 explicitly includes six female Reidemeisters. In addition, there is evidence of women as owners and lessors of wire drawing mills, and some of them even did the hard work of wire drawing themselves. The children assist by, for example, pointing wires, winding them up or operating the wire winches.
Industrialisation and factory work herald the end of the Reidemeister families. Suddenly, there is no further demand for the Märkisch Osemund. In the Ruhr area, cheaper puddle iron is introduced, which is melted and stirred in large furnaces and then easily processed in rolling mills. The Sauerland small-scale iron trade responds with consistent specialisation and, thanks to this strategy, has since produced dozens of world market leaders. The museum tour of Altena Castle is so exciting because it links the different worlds - the Middle Ages, the Reidemeister trade, industrialisation and modern-day Sauerland.
Steel Time Travel Destinations Nearby
The "Steel Time Travelers" Luise & Alfred: Museen Burg Altena
Al:
That's what I call a proud castle! Almost as lofty as my little house in Bredeney - also on a hill ...
Lu: At least my moated castle in Balve is on flat land. How do you get up there? It looks almost impregnable!
Al: One of those elevators - that would be a gain and an incentive for my hard-working engineers. They're on the ball. Wire? The people of Altena are world-famous for that. I'd need a few more rings...
Lu: Come on Alfred - the view over the town must be fabulous. I wish I had a tower room like that. And for you, I'm sure there's a real rotten dungeon ...
Al: A strong castle - in those days you had to bring in really heavy guns to protect the local iron trade. Nowadays that's ...
Lu: ... hopefully never again necessary! But if you also produce for the military, you quickly become a target yourself!
Visitor information
Address:
Fritz-Thomée-Str. 80
58762 Altena
Phone. 02352/966 7034
www.burg-altena.de
museen@maerkischer-kreis.de
Opening hours:
Tue-Fri: 9.30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sat/Sun/Holidays: 11 a.m. -6 p.m.
